Return to the Underground
by ELY20
Summary: Sarah is bored with her life as a 20 year old college student still living at home. Longing for something more, she calls upon Jareth and the goblins to return her to the labyrinth where it all began. Jareth makes her his queen, but everything becomes threatened when Jareth's brother, Dante, comes to take over the labyrinth. Will Sarah be able to defeat Dante and keep her kingdom?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello! Okay, so Labyrinth has been one of my all time favorite movies ever since I was a kid, and as I was watching it yesterday morning, I decided to write a fanfic for it continuing Jareth and Sarah's story. Hopefully if you're a fan of the movie, you will like this story. I will try to stay as true to the movie and characters as possible. Please leave me a review letting me know what you think! Thanks! **

Sarah stared outside her bedroom window, her mind already filling with dread for the next five hours. She would be leaving soon to work her evening shift at Betty's Boutique, her town's only all female clothing store. She absolutely hated working there after a long day of classes at the community college, and she hated Betty and her coworkers even more.

Sighing, she grabbed her purse and bounded down the stairs, wanting to avoid any conversations with her dad or step-mom. As she stepped outside, she automatically looked up at the clouds, realizing that it would be storming soon. They were due for some bad storms sometime this evening, and she hoped she would make it to work before it started raining. She shook her head in defeat then, figuring it was just her luck that it would rain on her as soon as she left for work.

Her life was one big joke, filled with more bad luck instead of good. She was twenty years old and still living at home with her parents and little brother. Toby wasn't really a problem; most of the time, he was the only person she could stand to be around. Her parents, on the other hand, drove her crazy. She worked at a job she hated, making hardly any money, and the boring classes she took at the local community college drove her to the brink of insanity.

When she was younger, she'd always had an idea of how her life would be when she grew up, but so far, reality was nothing like fantasy. She wanted her life to be just like the fairytales she'd read as a child. She wanted a magical life complete with woodland friends and a rich king that worship her forever. She wanted to live forever in a world of magic and mythical creatures.

Instead, she got to live the same normal, dull life that everyone else did. She would probably work the same boring job for the rest of her life, marry a guy that she didn't really love, and pop out a few bratty kids. The whole idea was absolutely dreadful.

As she got closer to work, she began to let her mind wander to a time in her life she'd tried so hard to forget. A time when she'd had to go searching for her brother, then just a small child, in a labyrinth filled with all kinds of creatures and trickery. Just thinking about it put a smile on her face. Even though at the time it had been terrifying, looking back, that had been one of the best moments of her life.

She began to blush as she thought back to Jareth the Goblin King and Ruler of the Underground. At the time, her fifteen-year old self hadn't been interested in dating or boys in general, but Jareth had been no boy. He was a man and a ruler of a magical land where time could be manipulated and dreams could come true. She certainly hadn't liked him then, but sometimes she caught herself thinking about the dance they'd shared and how he'd begged her to love him.

Her smile faltered. Jareth was a manipulator above all else. He'd been cruel to her by making her search for her brother and putting her through the things he had. He was heartless, and there was no way he would remember a nuisance like her, much less want anything to do with her. He'd once offered her a place by his side as his queen, but who was to say he hadn't found a new queen? She suddenly found herself wondering what her life would be like if she were a Goblin Queen instead of a college student. She had to admit, there was some allure to it.

As she walked into Betty's Boutique, thunder crashed loudly and the rain began to pour. She realized then that she'd had her chance once, and it would probably never come again.

* * *

Jareth fell to his knees in front of his throne, clutching at his chest and gasping in pain. His whole body turned ice cold, and he began to shake uncontrollably. He lifted his head and looked around at all the goblins before him. Every single one of them had their eyes fixed on him, muttering to themselves in alarm. Suddenly, the noise became too much, rising and filling his head.

"Everyone shut up!" He growled, gasping for air again. He could feel her. Her. Sarah. The girl that had come into his life what seemed like a lifetime ago and changed his world as he'd known it. He hadn't felt her in so long, but she was there now, her presence faint in his mind. He could feel everything that she was feeling. But why now? Why, after all this time, could he feel her now?

The sharp pain in his chest was coming from her. It was heartache, loneliness, and misery bombarding him all at once, magnifying his own, bringing him to his knees with the pain. Everything she was feeling, he'd been feeling for the last five years. Ever since she'd bested him at his own game and left him alone in his kingdom, he hadn't been the same since. He'd fallen in love with her whether he'd liked it or not, and he'd always hoped she'd come back to him and become his queen.

His shivering stopped almost as suddenly as it had started, and eventually the pain in his chest subsided. He inhaled a deep breath and stood to his feet, hating that temporary moment of weakness. A king should never look vulnerable among his subjects, and he'd done just that. He got up slowly and turned to sit on his throne. The goblins continued to stare at him, mouths hanging open and eyes wide. He rolled his eyes and rested his chin in his hand.

"Oh, what are you all staring at? I do detest being stared at. Go back to doing nothing, and leave me be."

The goblins all turned around immediately, chatting animatedly. Annoyed, Jareth got up and left the room, needing to find someplace quiet to sit and think for awhile.

* * *

Later that night, Sarah returned home feeling more exhausted than she ever had in her entire life. Her feet ached, her head was pounding, and she still had homework to do. All she wanted to do was fall into a deep sleep and not wake up for a very long time.

Thunder crashed loudly outside, making her jump. She threw herself onto her desk chair and spun around in lazy circles for a little while, too tired to start on homework. She looked at the clock on her desk. 11:38 pm. She would have to be up in just a few short hours. Sighing, she got up and sat down heavily on her bed, promising herself that she would do her homework in the morning before classes.

Lying back on her pillows, her work clothes still on, Sarah looked around her room. It still looked similar to the way it had five years ago, much to her step-mother's dismay. She still had all her toys displayed and the same furniture and wall art. She'd never felt there was a reason to change the room that she loved so much, but her step-mom had always tried to get her to change it around, make it more suitable for a young woman.

She supposed that she would have to grow up sometime, but she didn't want to. She didn't want to face the real world and deal with adult issues. Having responsibilities was too hard.

"I wish the goblins would come and take me away from here," She murmured sleepily, burying her face into her pillows and curling in on herself, "Yeah, right. Like I could ever get that lucky again."

Just then, thunder crashed outside and the power went out. Sarah jumped up, grasping for the flashlight she knew was on her desk. Suddenly, a lightening flash illuminated the whole room, and she screamed when her window flew open, letting in a strong gust of wind.

She blinked at the sight before her. An owl sat perched on the edge of her desk, one that she'd seen years ago.

"It can't be," She whispered, staring in awe. Suddenly, the owl morphed shapes before her very eyes and turned into the very man that she'd been thinking about just hours ago. He stood before her in all his glory, smiling down at her with that smirk he'd always worn. She noticed he hadn't aged a day since she'd last seen him.

"Oh, but it can, Sarah," He said, moving in closer, "It's good to see you again."

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I just want to say thanks to everyone that took the time to read the first chapter and follow/favorite it or leave a review! I really appreciate it! I was a little unsure about this chapter, but I hope that it's still worth reading! Please leave a review and let me know how I'm doing!**

"Why are you here?" Sarah asked, her voice unnaturally loud even though she was whispering. Jareth was just inches away from her now, close enough to touch her. He reached out one gloved hand and placed it on her cheek. His normally mischievous eyes softened as he looked at her, and Sarah felt herself blushing.

"I tried to forget about you for five years. I moved on, tended to my kingdom as a king should. Then today, I felt your presence in my mind, calling out to me. My chest ached with the pain you were feeling. Everything that happened five years ago came rushing back to me. Why did you call me back here? Why now?"

Sarah gulped and stepped away from his touch, needing to clear her head. She couldn't think when he was so close to her.

"I called upon you because I'm tired of living here. In this house, in this town, in this world. I want to come back, Jareth. I want to go back to the labyrinth."

In an instant, Jareth's eyes turned from soft to hard. He was once again the Goblin King. He moved in closer to her, despite her attempts to back away from him.

"Now, Sarah. Don't you remember you rejected me? I offered to make you a queen, and you turned me down. Now, here you are begging to come back. I'm not sure what to say," His voice was pure malice; he tried to make it sound as if he were teasing her, but Sarah could hear the anger in his voice.

"You know what? Just forget it. I knew this couldn't work," Sarah huffed, turning to crawl back into bed.

"Wait," Jareth commanded, and Sarah turned to look back at him. His eyes were soft once again, and an expression she couldn't identify marred his features.

"Sarah, I would like nothing more than for you to come back with me. Do as I command, and I will make you a queen and give you the finest riches, the likes of which you've never known. I only need you to do one thing before I consent."

She felt her breath catch in her throat. Her heart filled with dread. This had seemed like a good idea, but what if she couldn't do it. If she were to go off with him, there would be no turning back this time. He would own her completely, and there would be nothing she could do about that once it happened.

"What is it?" She asked him, staring at him suspiciously.

He cupped her cheek once more, staring into her eyes, "You must promise me that you will be mine forever and never leave my side. Also, you must never leave the confines of the labyrinth. The Underground is a vast place, full of things you've only seen in nightmares. You can never leave. Do you understand?"

Sarah nodded slowly, fully aware of what she was getting herself into. She could deal with a few restrictions if it meant going back to the one place where she'd made so many friends and met the man that she was meant to love forever. She knew it wouldn't be easy, but she was willing to go through all the bad to get to the happy ending.

"I understand," She replied, staring into Jareth's eyes. She watched as his eyes lit up in triumph and a smile spread across his face.

"Let's go home, my queen," He replied, taking her hand.

"Wait!" She cried, jerking her hand out of his grasp. His face fell, and a confused expression crossed his face.

"What is it?"

"Can I say goodbye to Toby? He's the only one I feel bad about leaving. It'll only take a second."

Jareth bowed his head in consent, "As you wish. Take your time. I will be here."

Without another word, Sarah ran out of the room and down the hallway to Toby's room. The power had come back on as she'd been talking to Jareth, and she was able to find her way easily.

She opened Toby's door slowly, wincing as the door creaked. The last thing she needed was to wake him as she was trying to say goodbye. Tears stung her eyes as she leaned over his tiny sleeping form. She brushed back his blonde curls gently, kissing him on the forehead.

"Goodbye, Toby. It's not forever. I'll see you again someday. If you ever need me, you know where you can find me," She said, grabbing the doll that had been an exact replica of her in the dress she'd danced with Jareth in and placing it beside him under the covers. She wasn't sure why, but for some reason she knew that Toby would understand what all of this meant, even if he was only a small child.

With one last look at her brother, Sarah turned and headed down the dimly lit hallway back to her room. When she returned, Jareth was standing on the other side of her bed, looking at the pictures on her wall and playing with the crystal ball that he always seemed to have with him.

"Are you ready?" He asked without turning around.

"Yes," Sarah replied. She jumped and screamed when a dozen or so goblins all jumped out from various hiding places, screeching and chattering about incessantly. They all gathered around her legs, hugging her and talking at her.

"What's all this?" Sarah said, looking at Jareth in disbelief. Tears filled in her eyes when she noticed Hoggle, Didymus, and Ludo standing off in the corner, waving.

"They're happy you're returning. I wasn't the only one that missed you. I suppose they're also happy to finally have a queen. Seems they've grown quite tired of me over the centuries," Jareth replied, a smirk on his face.

"Oh, I've missed you all!" Sarah exclaimed, rushing over to Hoggle, Didymus, and Ludo.

"Miss Sarah!" Ludo said in that gruff way of his, wrapping her up in a hug.

"Yes, we've missed you terribly," Didymus said, saluting her.

"Yeah, well, I missed you the most!" Hoggle said, pushing his way past Didymus to give her a hug.

Sarah let her hug with Hoggle linger the longest, reluctant to let him go, even though she would be leaving with him. She'd missed him the most, not that she would ever tell Jareth that. He would probably have Hoggle thrown into the Bog of Eternal Stench.

"Yes, well, if we're all done here, I would like to get back to my kingdom," Jareth suddenly interjected, looking more than a little annoyed. Sarah rolled her eyes.

"We're ready," She told him.

"Excellent!" Jareth exclaimed, clapping his hands together once. Before Sarah knew what had happened, she'd been transported to the world of the Underground and the labyrinth.

In that moment, as she looked around at the kingdom that would eventually be hers, Sarah felt like she was truly home for the first time in a long time.


End file.
